SC board hires elem. principal

Blue Ridge High School Principal Peter Supko will find himself in different hallways for the upcoming school year.

Supko was hired Wednesday, May 16, as the new elementary school principal in the Susquehanna Community School District.

SCSD Superintendent Bronson Stone has been serving in dual administrative roles for the past four years, as both the K-6 principal and head of the district.

Supko officially joins the Susquehanna admin team on July 1.

Originally from the Forest City area, Supko taught as Delaware Valley High School before joining the administration at Blue Ridge in 2015.

He attended Wednesday night’s meeting and offered his thanks to the board members for the opportunity.

The board also approved a tentative $15.5 million budget for the 2018-19 school year. The budget reflects the district’s plan to increase taxes up to the state set index of 3.4 percent. A final budget will be presented for adoption at the June meeting, and will include presently unknown amounts – such as heating oil costs.

Stone said the district plans to implement additional career readiness requirements for students next year, including career mentoring for the seniors.

The plan, which is still under development, will be designed ahead of the state Department of Education’s final requirements.

The Strategic Planning Committee will begin meeting this summer, and part of the plan will address the development of a high-quality career to work program for the district.

Stone also reported that students in grades 5-12 participated in a school climate survey. He said that in the high school, 98 percent of the students reported that they feel safe; and 94 percent of the fifth- and sixth-graders surveyed felt safe in the school.

“Our students are not in a climate of fear,” he said, adding that if the students feel physically safe, they are better able to take academic risks.

Several safety improvements have been made to the classrooms, Stone said.